Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2016 i Trail

What a feeling. What. A. Feeling. As the mountains empty, you pass the crowds heading down as you head up. The light dims, the landscape quietens and a calm settles that is somehow deeper than at any point during the day. You find a spot with a view. You pitch up, you dig yourself in, and you watch the night thicken. Cloud sinks and softens the valleys, while the heavens sharpen crisply. And it’s all yours. All. Yours. In the morning, there could be a different set of dramatic visuals to greet you, sculpted and lit from a whole new direction. This time of year is perfect for the first camp – it’s cool enough to produce interesting atmospheric conditions, yet warm enough for those long, lingering tent-side vigils watching…

“Scafell Pike, Snowdon or Ben Nevis? Scafell Pike. It might not be the prettiest but it’s got a hidden charm.” Scafell Pike, Snowdon or Ben Nevis? Scafell Pike. It might not be the prettiest but it’s got a hidden charm. What do you love most about the mountains? It’s hard not to sound clichéd, but the view and the mountain air – and that escape you get. You’re in a pub. What’s on the menu? It’s got to be pie and chips. I’m quite partial to chicken, ham and leek but if I’m in a good area with good cattle then it’ll be local meat. And a pint of cider. Favourite hill snack? Anything with chocolate on it or in it. The worst thing you’ve eaten? In the Siberut jungle…

Back in October I went to the Elan Valley with my partner Eleri and two daughters Catrin and Megan [right], to explore the recently renovated Lluest Cwmbach bothy [left]. We were really impressed by the location and work carried out. We also left some past editions of Trail for the next guests! Steve Davies, via email Lost on 25 March near head of Lost Valley, Glen Coe, a Panasonic camera. If found please email me on daw@colinton.net – thanks. David • TURN THE PAGE FOR PICS OF SOME SLIGHTLY LESS LACK-LUSTRE READERS! trail@bauermedia.co.uk @trailmagazine facebook.com/trailmagazine @trailmagazine…

Fairfield High point Fairfield 873m Wainwrights 8 Possibly the most famous horseshoe in the Lakes. Starting in Ambleside, slingshotting around the deserted valley of Rydal and topping out on the impressive plateau of Fairfield, this should be on every hillwalker’s list. Coledale High point Crag Hill 839m Wainwrights 7 Tucked away in the North-Western Fells, this route sees way less footfall than it should. The conical summit of Grisedale Pike, in particular, is one of the finest viewpoints in the Lake District. Kentmere High point High Street 828m Wainwrights 9 Another hidden classic, this time in the south-east Lakes, Kentmere village and the hills that spring north from it have a deliciously remote feel to them. The walking is great, and the views are gigantic. Langdale High point Bowfell 902m…

Hidden among the larch and birch trees of Atkinson Coppice is an industrial remnant of ecclesiastical proportions. Cathedral Quarries are a network of tunnels and caverns bored into the green slate belly of Great Intake. Sometime in the Victorian era, the invention of compressed air drills improved the efficiency of the boring and blasting process, and huge quantities of slate were harvested from the hillsides of Lakeland. And where the slate was taken, empty spaces were left. From a raised, level area on the north side of the hill, the entrance to the tunnel is hard to miss – a dark, rounded void, marked by helpful notices from the ever caring National Trust warning you of the potential dangers of entering. These aren’t ‘KEEP OUT!’ signs, you understand, but a…

YOUR EXPERTS Graham Thompson GT – Trail’s technical editor for over 25 years – is our walking gear guru. Rob Johnson MIC Rob is an international expedition leader and mountain instructor. Lyle Brotherton Navigation expert Lyle is one of the world’s leading authorities on search and rescue. Jeremy Ashcroft Trail’s mountaineering editor Jeremy has a lifetime of outdoors experience. Many of us turn to mountain streams for quick and convenient rehydration, whether as a matter of course or in a moment of emergency. Lifting that icy water to your lips is a simple pleasure after all – you're part of the landscape and it's a part of you. Unfortunately, so are its most minuscule organisms, squirming through your gut, multiplying rapidly and sending you sprinting to the nearest clump of…

A SURVIVAL BLANKET Packs up small and offers important emergency insulation. PICTURED: Blizzard Survival Bag £33 B PENKNIFE Provides the tools for cutting paracord, trimming bandages, extracting splinters and more (subscribe and get one, page 48). PICTURED: Victorinox Explorer £42 C EMERGENCY FOOD Keep as a back-up in the bottom of your rucksack (wrapped in duct tape to stop you tucking in) for emergency use only. D WARM LAYERS Carry extra layers that can be worn for warmth in the event of immobilisation. PICTURED: Berghaus Ulvetanna Hybrid Hydrodown £250 E GROUPSHELTER Valuable protection from the elements that will keep a group warm and dry. PICTURED: Vango Storm Shelter 400 £33 F AVALANCHE TRANSCEIVER Carrying one will help you locate someone – or be located yourself –…

“From the summit you get a grandstand view of Helvellyn.” There are an almost limitless number of ways that you can link the many sinuous ridgelines around Ullswater into satisfying hilltop rounds. But Place Fell boasts the most spectacular mid point to any of them. It plunges into the lake, while the rest of the fells maintain a respectful distance from the shores. Its sheer sides help make the Glenridding end of Ullswater one of the most eye-catching scenes in the National Park. From the summit you get a grandstand view of the Helvellyn massif and the lake itself. And the long fingers of fells that creep up the landlocked valley behind are equally fascinating. Climbing the lengthy ridge that makes up Beda Head and Beda Fell, or its cousin…

Tucked away on the hillside above the Nant Ffrancon, the wide valley running north from Ogwen Cottage, is an obscure and curious crag called Creigiau Gleision. It is nestled on the eastern flanks of Foel-goch. Despite being less than a 30 minute walk from the ever-popular Cwm Idwal, and as the sparcity of footpaths or trails testifies, it is a neglected corner of the Glyders mountain chain. Unlike most other crags in the Glyders, Creigiau Gleision’s scruffiness and vegetated complexity have never made it a major destination for climbers or scramblers. However, if its poor rock quality is put aside, the crag’s chaotic and sprawling qualities make it an intriguing place to visit for the inquisitive. Particularly attractive is its eastern bounding edge, known as South Arête, which offers a…

The Afon Tawe comes from humble beginnings, rising high on boggy moorland north of the Mynydd Du or Black Mountain (singular), before dropping south to cleave a deep gash between the remote massifs of the Mynydd Du and Fforest Fawr. It makes a great base for exploration of the surrounding mountain ranges, and there are a few great lower-level outings within easy reach too – the best of the bunch being a visit to the Brecon Beacons’ highest waterfall, Henrhyd Falls. So stock up on essentials, brush up your nav skills, and head west for a trio of wonderful Welsh walks... TRANSPORT Bus The 63 service Ystradgynlais - Brecon stops at the Field Study Centre in Glyntawe www.traveline.cymru PUBS/GRUB Tafarn-y-Garreg (01639) 731415 Gwyn Arms (01639) 730310 ACCOMMODATION Llanddeusant YHA Hostel…

1 SN855155 Walk back past the quarry towards the road head, and as it bends left keep ahead through a gate and onto a drive. Bear right, keeping the buildings to your left, to another gate. Cross this and keep ahead, now with the old railway line down to your right. A stile then gives access to the path that follows the old line. Join it, and enjoy over 3km of lovely, easy walking with excellent views over the Tawe Valley to the Black Mountain. Fan Gyhirych is mainly hidden at this stage but it hovers above you to the right. Continue until the path starts to dip down to the A4067. 2 SN868192 Take the obvious grassy exit track that leads up just before the road, and when this…

1 SC316906 From The Mitre pub in Kirk Michael, head south up the road and past the school. Fork right at a junction (taking A4 to Peel), which soon bridges a small stream in a deep culvert. Just beyond the bridge is a side-road. Take the shady footpath just to its right, which leads past the back of houses to a wide dirt track at the entrance to Coolidarry Nature Reserve. 2 SC316899 The reserve is worth a brief detour, then return to the track and continue uphill. The track steepens somewhat then widens by a field gate, where there's a first view of the rolling moorland holding today’s objectives, Sartfell and Slieau Freoaghane (pronounced ‘sloo farrane‘). This latter name means Hill of the Spring, rather than the literal translation…

Over 500 people donned headtorches and lined up along the spine of Cat Bells in April, creating a dazzling string of light from the summit to the shore of Derwent Water. Cat Bells Festival of Light was organised by Lakeland Mountain Guides in order to raise money for Community Action Nepal (CAN), a year after an earthquake devastated much of the country. Walkers donated online and on the day, raising a massive £11,000; but it’s not over yet – photos snapped from Walla Crag are now on sale for £10 each, 50 per cent of which goes to CAN: www.photosbycarmen.co.uk/portfolio/Catbells-festival-of-light…

This photo was taken on a 3-day winter walking skills course in Scotland, run by Adventure Peaks. Day 1 saw me and my brother Alistair on Stob Dubh, day 2 involved winter skills (learning to use an ice axe and crampons on Ben Nevis north face) and on day 3 we climbed Ben Nevis. I now have a new winter hobby: the mountains don’t seem so bad in snow now we have the essential skills! Trail’s winter guide features have proved very useful for both gear and techniques, and what to expect on courses. Derren Knight, Winchester Ed – It’s great to know that we’ve helped to get you walking in winter conditions, Derren!…

GLYDER FACH SNOWDONIA It’s not every day you’re photo-bombed by a Chinook! Adam Fincher (right) and his best mate Alex were training for the 10 Peaks challenge when this happened... Each issue we’ll be giving away the new Summit 25/38 mattress from Multimat’s Expedition range. New materials make this self-inflating sleeping mat tougher and lighter for durability on unsupported expeditions. Tested to -35 deg C, its wedge profile maximises comfort and minimises weight, while a warm zone improves tog value under the torso. THIS COULD BE YOU! Send your shots, marked ‘Summit selfie’ to trail@bauermedia.co.uk…

For most, it’s the chaotic spires of the fearsome Cuillin hills that come to mind when we think of Skye. But once spring weather had sprung in late March, my friend Ste and I set out to discover what else this mysterious northerly island had to offer. We would not be disappointed. Soon after crossing the bridge from the mainland, there was apprehension in the sea air. Perhaps it was the unforgiving reputation, the isolation, or simply not knowing what to expect. Either way, there was a unique allure that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. It was quite unlike Scotland as I knew it. Even the sheep looked different. Our eyes were met by a wilderness of monstrous peaks dominating the horizon: dark volcanic rock reflected in peaceful…

Two hours. That’s how long Katherine Wills tells us it could take Mountain Rescue to reach you in Snowdonia. If yours isn’t the only call they’re responding to, it could be longer. And she should know; Kath is a veteran member of the Llanberis team. So, here’s the question: if you were on scene when somebody suffered a serious injury or illness in the mountains, would you have the skills to keep them alive until medical help arrive? Today Kath isn’t on mountain rescue duty but doing her day job at Active First Aid Training; and I’m on their two-day emergency first aid course in Beddgelert – because my answer to the above question was, quite simply, “No.” DAY 1 Keep them breathing, stop them bleeding, keep them warm. That’s…

Waterproof fabrics usually have a waterproof and breathable membrane in a sandwich between inner and outer layers. But Columbia’s Gold Tech Shell jacket uses OutDry Extreme, the first material to have the waterproof and breathable membrane on the outside, with no outer layer to protect it. So how does it work on the hill? OutDry Extreme fabric is designed to maximise breathability; when worn by a walker it should prevent the build-up of condensation that normally develops. The increased breathability is due to the fabric lacking an outer layer, as in ‘normal’ waterproof jackets it is this layer that limits breathability when it becomes saturated with water and dirt. The usual way to overcome this problem is to apply a durable water repellency (DWR) treatment to the outer layer. But…

Hill-bagging stats Walking the Wainwrights, the Munros, the Corbetts or the Welsh 3000ers? These routes have got you covered. Gradient profile We map every route for its unique gradient profile, giving you a pinpoint impression of its progressive steepness and the heights you’ll hit. What are the Trail 100? They’re your tick-list of the 100 UK mountains you MUST climb! Download the full list from: bit.ly/trail100 Always take a map on the hill We aim to provide the most accurate information, but you must ALWAYS use an Ordnance Survey or Harvey map on the hill and double-check any directions against it. BEFORE YOU GO... If you’re likely to encounter snow or ice on your walk you need to take precautions. You MUST have ice axe, crampons and the skills to…

A compact group standing aloof from the mass of Lakeland’s mountains, the Coniston Fells feel subtly distinct. From this outstretched limb of high ground the views are immense, northwards to the crinkly mountain skyline of the Central Fells; south down the ribbon of Coniston Water to Morecambe Bay. With a complex layout of spurs and summits many route combinations are possible here, and there’s plenty of scope for getting hands-on. For scramblers the Coniston side of the range is particularly fertile ground, its flanks bitten into a series of deep coves generously scattered with perfect rough rock. This round links three of the best scrambles in the area, and four summits too, to create a mountaineering-style journey best suited to experienced scramblers. Hit the hardest bit first with a serious…

The Balquhidder glen is a curious enigma. Hidden in plain sight, an obvious turn-off from the main road north through the Trossachs, it nevertheless manages to retain a backwater aura. With the seven great Crianlarich Munros arrayed along its northern rim, the glen gives access to some mighty peaks. And yet this flank of the range sees comparatively little traffic, and you might spend years bagging Scottish hills without once setting foot here. It’s quieter still on the southern rim, a tangle of lesser tops that barely feature on most hillwalkers’ radar. Chief among these is Stob a’ Choin (not to be confused with nearby Beinn a’ Choin), a pointy standalone Corbett with a precipitous profile that captures your attention from the glen in a way that the adjacent Munros…

1 SN839155 Turn left onto the main road for 400m and take a path on the right, opposite a lay-by. Follow up for a few paces then zigzag to the top. Keep the fence to your right and cross a stile before turning right to follow a wall around a crag and down past another stile to a gate. Turn left and follow a faint path easily upwards towards a rock-covered hillside. Keep right near the top, to join a clearer path, and then follow this left to join a quarry track. Turn right onto this and continue to a wall on the left. Now bear right to climb to the trig point on Cribarth. 2 SN828141 Drop back to the original track, and keep the wall on the left.…

On a clear day it’s possible to see seven kingdoms from the top of the Isle of Man’s highest peak, Snaefell: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Isle of Man, Heaven (the sky) and Neptune (the sea). The island may only measure 30 miles by 12 miles, but its diversity makes it feel much larger. There are five ‘Marilyn’ hills to bag, if that’s your thing, while the coastal walk around Spanish Head has exceptional views and interest. The grand grassy ridgeline of North Barrule and boggy hillsides of Sartfell and Slieau Ouyr also deserve exploration. Add in woodland glens, basking sharks and four-horned sheep, and you‘ll find there's something for everyone on the Isle of Man. GETTING THERE Ferry from ports including Liverpool or Heysham www.steam-packet.com Plane Flybe flies from several…

1 SC197689 Head west on Station Road then left onto Strand Road, descending to the beach. Curve south around the bay following a long one-way system into a car park. The Raad Ny Foillan coastal footpath continues just left and behind a brick outbuilding on concrete steps (this is very easy to miss!), passing above the former marine biology college. for roughly 4km to the Sound of Man, with occasional stiles. Before leaving the bay, the opposite headland offers a great view of Milner's Tower on Bradda Head (the lock key shape was to honour Milner – a master locksmith and town benefactor). In the distance behind the tower look out for the shapely high ridge of South Barrule. 3 SC177676 After roughly 2km the view gradually opens out to…

Tucked in northern Snowdonia, away from the main stage of Tryfan and Glyders Fawr and Fach, Foel-goch isn’t an obvious choice. In fact it’s little-climbed. Sitting where it does at the unfashionable end of the range, it is very much the black sheep (despite a name that means ‘red hill’). This end of this famously scrambly range sits close to the National Park’s border, and there is some evidence in its highest ramparts of Snowdonia’s industrial edges, particularly in the form of Elidir Fawr’s high reservoir Marchlyn Mawr – beneath which the innards of the Llanberis ‘Electric Mountain’ churn and hum. Up here, though, you’re spared all that – it’s serene, bar a fence running over the summit. And what you also get is a mysterious riff on the Glyder…

Someone reading the mag this summer will snap a mountain photo that will win them £2,000-worth of Nikon camera kit. Will it be you? The rules are simple; in fact there’s only one: the picture must be taken in the UK. Other than that it’s up to you. But our panel of five judges are looking for something special, whether it’s a moment of drama, atmosphere or simple beauty. Entries have already started coming in, so get out, get snapping and send your most spectacular shots to us before 21 August. For more info see www.lfto.com/ photocomp…

“Newlands sums up everything that’s great about the Lakes.” Is there anywhere that screams Lake District quite like the Newlands Valley? Is there anywhere that delivers hillwalking in its purest, most irresistible form like the surrounding Derwent Fells? And is there a route anywhere in England that grabs you by the bootlaces and gets you chasing the horizon more than the multi-summited treasure trove of the Newlands Horseshoe? I certainly don’t think so. Like many of you reading this magazine, I’ve spent a large chunk of my walking life in the Lakes, and I love everything about it. The creases and crinkles of the landscape; the claustrophobic valleys; the gurgling becks; the fickle weather; the raw beauty of the high fells; the twisting, singletrack roads that belong to a Postman…

“That Lingmell is an actual hill is something I was only dimly aware of.” Lingmell: gosh. So hard to put these things into words sometimes. I’d say I never thought of it as a hill, as in a way it’s so much more than a hill – a sort of peripheral presence, a kind of existential plane you pass through on the way to the top of Scafell Pike. Akin to navigating puberty to reach adulthood: a stage, rather than a destination. You absorb it, you don’t climb it. That’s how I’d always thought of Lingmell. Something indefinable, but righteous. Crucial, yet humble. Large, yet strangely... ...oh dear. I’m sorry, I can’t do this. Lingmell? It’s that dumpy thing you see from Wasdale Head that looks like a miserable slog,…

FOR MORE VISIT BLACKDOTS PROJECT.CO.UK OR INSTAGRAM @NICHOLAS JRWHITE…

BLACK DIAMOND SPOT 200 £40 Hot because: In addition to packaging its 200 lumens – upgraded from the previous version’s 130 lumens – into a sleek body that’s light (90g including the three AAA batteries that power it) and unobtrusive to wear, the Spot 200 also manages to be waterproof. Its IPX8 rating means it’s been tested to operate up to 110cm underwater for 30 minutes and, while the average hillwalker is likely to have more to worry about in those circumstances, it’s good to know that a west coast downpour isn’t going to rob you of your illumination. Distance, proximity, dimmer, strobe and night vision functions are all covered, and Black Diamond’s PowerTap Technology makes it possible to switch between full and dimmed power with a tap of the…

KLYMIT INERTIA X FRAME £62.50 This is about half the weight of a waterproof jacket and could fit in a camp mug. It’s by far the lightest and most compact mat available, which is unsurprising because half of it doesn’t exist! The X Frame is designed to give support at the head, shoulders, hips and feet with holes elsewhere to decrease weight and allow your sleeping bag to ‘loft’. But it only works if you sleep flat on your back. The push-and-twist valve lets you inflate it without losing air, and you can up the pressure with the included bulb-shaped hand pump. It’s also surprisingly durable for such a featherweight item. If low weight is your priority and you mostly camp in summer, this ingenious mat could be worth a…

You are more likely to meet someone under the hill in the area of Leck Fell than on it – for you are in pothole country here. This might explain why the number of cars in the car park doesn't quite match the number of people you meet out on the fells (you are quite likely to enjoy this route on your own). The route starts near the lonely Leck Fell House and climbs first to the Three Men of Gragareth – three drystone pillars built (according to legend) to scare the marauding Scots into thinking warriors stood on the fell. Three ‘men’ are marked on the map, but now it’s more like 12 and growing, as people add 'sons' to the hill. What’s strange is there is little or…

Let's face it. There are reasons not to climb Beinn na Caillich and its higher west top Mam na Gualainn. Look upwards: Kinlochleven has the magnificent Mamores, ten great Munros – so why be content with a mere Corbett? Or look down: Kinlochleven has low lines, woods and waterfalls to the Blackwater dam. And then there's the name: Caillich is the not terribly nice old lady who you have a nasty suspicion just might be a witch. (Not to be sexist; her equivalent old bloke, – the Bodach – is celebrated in the hill across the valley.) So why be messing about on the mid-level? All you get is a narrow but grassy 4km ridgeline, with nothing to look at but the soaring Mamores northwards and the gleam of Loch…

1 SN848170 Cross the road from the Tafarn-y-Garreg, and go through the car park to join the Beacons Way. Cross the bridge and bear right to follow the river to some pens. Jink right and left around these and then keep ahead onto open hillside, taking a rough path steeply uphill. This levels and offers superb walking along the lofty escarpment edge of Fan Hir. 2 SN830209 Continue over the summit and down into Bwlch y Giedd, where another brutal climb leads onto Fan Brycheiniog, at 802m (2,630ft) the highest peak in the Mynydd Du. There’s a good shelter here if you’re ready for some rest. From the trig point, carry on north to loop around to Twr ^ Fan Foel, a cairned summit atop a slender bluff, and then…

1 SC439841 Exit down steps from Minorca station shelter and head left up a steep road. Cross the A2 towards King Orry's Grave. It's worth a brief detour to see this site (the island’s largest Stone Age memorial chamber). 2 SC438843 As the road bends right, head left up a deteriorated tarmac track. Follow footpath signs past several houses/farm buildings; once past these look left for a glimpse of Snaefell. After a further 1.2km (roughly), pass a lone stand of conifers. The track bends left; instead go straight ahead through a gate along a gorse lined track between fields. 3 SC439861 A grass-covered wall briefly bars the way; bend left then right on a long dog-leg around this. Join a well made path and go left and uphill to a…